Lamp



H. B. DONLEY I Nov. 8, 1927.

LAMP

Filed Nov. 21, 1924 gnpenfow JLB. 201217 a, 7M 7 Skim/neg Patented Nov. 8, 192?.

HAROLD B. :D ONLEY, or COLUMBUS, OHIO,

assrenon are THE oHN w. :BRowNfooM BANY, or COLUMBUS, 01-1110, A conrona'rron oroHIo.

Application filed November 21, 1924. serial No. 751,389.

, employing a casing having an open front reflector mounted therein, which front is covered by a transparent or light emitting closure, the primary object of the invention being toprovide an improved fastening structure so as to simplify and improve the means whereby the lamp-casing or body, the reflector and closure are held in secured operative relation.

Inmany prior structures it hasbeen theordinary practice to retain these lamp parts together in operatively assembled relationship by means of what is termed a lens or closure ring, associatedwith the body or casing' of the lamp in such manner as. to exercise frictional pressure upon the closure and the outer edge of the reflector with the end in view of binding those elements in secured physical engagement with the lamp body. This prior construction is open to numerous objections which the present invention materially overcomes. 'Among these objections 'is the difficulty which is encountered in assembling or disassembling the units or ele- -111 part pomted out hereinafter; t

mentsof the lamp. Ordinarily, the ring has been provided with studs which engage with bayonet slots provided in the lamp body. Theproper engagement of the studs with these slots and the twisting of the ring is aldifficult matter to carryout, requiring considerable manual effort and likewise great difliculty is often encountered in removing the ring from the lamp body, due

to the'action of corrosion, dirt-and the like after the elements of the lamp have been retained together for a considerable period of time. Again, the old method of locking the lamp parts together by the rotatable ring is open to the objection that when a prismatic, inon-glare type of reflector is employed in thelamp, it is diflicult to retain such lenses or reflectors in their proper operative posit-ions of adjustment, so vthat approved construction, and i to provide in connection with these elements of the lamp a plurality of resilient fastening members,

which are carried in connection with, the

outer edge portions of the lamp body or casing and have their resilient extremities cooperative with the peripheral portions of the lens or closurejin suchmannerthat the lens is securelysupported in a position closing the open front of the reflector, and at the v same time is resilientlypressed in an inward direction, the direction of this pressure being such that the lens or closure will be firmly the reflector and the latter inturn will have its outwardly directed flange firmly forced into retained and frict-ionally held physical engagement with an inturned portion of the lamp body. By this construction the three essential elements of the lampare positively retained together without reliance upon a lens-ring, which in tlllSz lnstance is merely tion of the lamp to exclude moisture and to present an ornamental appearance.

Other ob ects will be in part obvious an For a further understanding of the invention reference is to behad tothe following description andto the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a front elevationof a vehicle lamp constructed in accordance with the present invention, theglens ring being omitted in'ordertomore clearly disclose the inner structure, I

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through 'the vehicle lamp f and illustrating more fully the means comprising the present invention for securing the casing, the reflector and the lens of the lamp in operative'relation, I

Figure 3 is an enlarged front elevation disclosing a fragmentary portion of the lamp, the lens ring being shown in section,

Figure 4: is a horizontal section on the line H of Figure 3, and

.pressed against a sealing gasket carried by employed to surround the peripheral por I Figure 5 is a perspective view of one of the resilient members or spring clips.

,Referring more particularly to the details stood that the principles of the invention 1 are applicable .to any form oflampembodymg a body, a reflector and a transparent closure Inthis instance the body is of pressed sheet metal and is formed with an open forward end fso that the usual parabolic reflector may-be positioned within the body or casing ofthe lamp for cooperation with a source of light (not shown); Adjacent to its forward open end the body of the casing is provided with an annular head 3 and at the extreme forwardend of the body, the wall of th'e latter is bent inwardly so as i to'liein a substantially vertical plane,this

inwardly bent portion of the body providing an annular'flange 4. As is customary,

the reflector 52 'is formed beyond' its parabolical surface with an outwardly directed flange 5, which isarranged to seat upon or engagewiththe outer silirface of the flange 4., a's i-s clearly shown in Figure 2. The

flange 5 is also formed with a depression 6 of annular form which rece ves a gasket 7 against which is placed the inner wallfof the transparent closure or lens 8. This lens may be either of the plain or prismatic type, as may be desired. 1

'In order to secure these parts of the lamp I together in operative relation, the flange 4,

in accordance with the present invention, has struck outwardly therefrom integral strips 9 whichlie in a plane outwardly offset with respect to the major portion of the flange 4. Arranged to bepositioned between the flange 4 andthestrips 9 'is a plurality of resilient holding members 10, in this instance in the form of spring clips. These clips, as shown in Figure 5, have their rear ends formed with vertically extendlng por- 7 tions ll, which 'fit within the sockets provided therefor between the strips 9 and the flange 4 of the body, and thes'e'clips may be held in:this position .by bending the outer extremities of the portions 11 outwardly at 12 so to engage with theouter edges of thest-rips 9; By this construction the said clips are firmly yet if necessary detachably connected with the body and project outwardly therefrom.

- l Theoutwardly projecting portionsof the clips are designated by the numeral 13. These latter portions extend substantially horizontally and have their outer ends terminated'in curved. resilient lips or hook-extremities 14, which by reason of their position are permitted to flex considerably. 7 As shown in Figure 2, the. positions ofthe clips 10 are such that when the lampis assembled the hook extremities'lt will engage with the outer peripheral portions of the lens 8i in such a manner that the resilient effort'which the clips exercise on the lens will be directed inwardly with respect to the lamp. As a result ofv this inwardly directed pressure, the lens is firmly pressed-in engagement with the seating gasket f thereby, in turn, firmly pressing the flange 5 of the reflector toward and in engagement with the flanges; of the body 1. I By this construction it will be observed upon consideration that the hody 1,

the reflector 2 the'lens 8 are securely united inoperative order' 'or proper relative f 7 positions by the use of the springmembers 10, which are carried by the body of the lamp. This arrangement produces an operative assembling without relation to the lens ring 15' which, as above stated, has; been ordinarily employedin the pastfor this purpose. a

' In the present instance, the lens ring eongages with the lamp body and its movement is limited by engagement with the head 3,

a fastening screw 16 being utilized to retain the lens ring in connection. with the bodyfand in cooperation with the outer wall of the lens 8. It will be noticed that the lens ring is secured by forcing the same inward y and longitudinally upon the lamp, no; rotary movement beingv imparted thereto. Thi materially simplifies the assembly of the lamp and overcomes many objections above noted. It will be observed that in the presentconthe lamp 1 to conveniently position the reflector so that in the event that the latter is ribbed for, purposes of light diftusion no difficulty will be encountered in properly centerin'g the reflectorwithin the lamp body to secure'its most. effective. operation. Similarly, ease and convenience nthe placing of the lens ring is. obtained whichfiis accom-- plished by the merepressing of the le11S.: 1 wardly so that'the same will snap over and be held by the hooked extremities of. the clips 10'. The lens ring may then he laced on the lamp bodyand secured by, the screw 16, completing, the operation of assembling the lamp. Not only does thisfconstruction overcome the cdiiiiculty heretofore encountered. in locking the lamp parts together, but it admits of more facile and economical manufacture and a materially simplified construction.

While the" present disclosurej sets; forth provided with integral cl pso ke s, e e ector arranged to er s d body aiiql havins a notched peflpheralfiange adapted tqi seat struction it is possible in the assembling Off 7 upon said Wall, with the notches in said flange 1n registration With said Wall sockets, o a transparent closure perlpherally engaging sockets and with outwardly extending locking portions, the latter having the free ends thereof disposed to resiliently engage the 10 peripheral edge of said closure to force the closure and said reflector into secured fric- .HAROLD B. DONLEY. 

